1. Got Stormy (filly)
2. Catholic Boy
3. Lucullan
4. Synchrony
5. Mr. Havercamp
6. Raging Bull
7. El Tormenta
8. Silent Poet
9. Wet Your Whistle
10. Valid Point
(** Wet Your Whistle is entered to race at Kentucky Downs Sept. 7. Also, Mile nominee Mr. Ritz is entered to race at Presque Isle on Monday in the Presque Isle Mile)
With the presence of Grade 1 winner GOT STORMY, a rapidly improving filly, in the Woodbine Mile field Sept. 14, the track’s popular ‘Win and You’re In’ event continues to be one of the year’s top grass races on the continent heading to the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Got Stormy is the latest hotshot horse plucked by owner Gary Barber in a private purchase. The daughter of Get Stormy was originally a $23,000 yearling and then a $45,000 2-year-old in training purchase by Alana Quartucci from the Fasig Tipton Maryland sale two years ago.
After just two starts for that owner and trainer Lisa Lewis, Barber bought Got Stormy and gave her to Mark Casse. She won three straight stakes races as a 3-year-old last year including Woodbine’s Ontario Colleen Stakes (G3). This year she is on a serious roll, winning the De La Rose and Fourstardave (G1) over colts a week apart.
It is easy to do some comparison to 2016 Mile winner TEPIN, also trained by Casse, since Got Stormy comes in with a lofty 108 Beyer Figure from her Fourstardave score although Tepin was a lot more accomplished when she came to Woodbine having won at Royal Ascot in her previous start plus collecting a litany of other big wins.
A formidable rival for Got Stormy at Woodbine would be CATHOLIC BOY, who was bred, in part, by Toronto’s John Fielding in Kentucky. This bay 4-year-old ridgling by More Than Ready is a Grade 1 winner on turf and dirt but he is 5 for 6 on the grass for owner Robert LaPenta.
Catholic Boy has been battling minor issues this summer and by-passed the Woodward last Saturday with an eye on the Woodbine Mile.
Canada’s own MR HAVERCAMP, champion older male and turf male last year at the Sovereign Awards, has been pointed to the Mile all year. He won the Forbidden Apple (G3) at Saratoga in a super season debut before slipping back to fourth in the Grade 3 Seagram on Tapeta at Woodbine. He worked on Aug. 31 in 47 2/5 at Woodbine for Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry and trainer Catherine Day Phillips. The son of Court Vision, bred in Ontario, was second in last year’s Woodbine Mile when he stalked a slow pace set by Oscar Performance
Peter Brant’s Raging Bull, trained by Chad Brown was 2nd in the Fourstardave and is one of a few others who have posted recent Beyer Figures in the triple digits. The others include King Edward winner Synchrony (photo by Michael Burns) and Play the King (G2) Stakes winner Silent Poet.
NBA Champion Norman Powell of the Toronto Raptors will assist with the proceedings as guest drawmaster on Wednesday, Sept. 11 and be available to the media along with key connections from the Ricoh Woodbine Mile race after the post position draw is conducted.
Got Stormy breezed five furlongs Saturday in 1:00.38 over the Oklahoma training track in preparation for the Grade 1, $1 million Woodbine Mile on Sept. 14.
“She worked good. We had Sammy Jimenez breeze her,” said trainer Mark Casse. “I told Sammy to let her go along nice and cluck to her at the top of the lane. He clucked to her and she came home the last quarter in 23 flat.
“She has an amazing stride.”
Of course Casse brought the amazing mare TEPIN to Woodbine to win the 2016 Woodbine Mile for owner Robert Masterson.
Got Stormy won four of her nine sophomore starts, including victories in the Ontario Colleen (G3) at Woodbine, the Penn Oaks and the Wild Applause at Belmont. However, the talented filly has found a new level this year with her last three starts, including a four-length score in the De La Rose, boasting triple-digit Beyers.
“She’s just grown up and got confident,” said Casse. “We’ve had a lot of luck with our 3-year-olds giving them a break and letting them come back at four. Some of them mature and she’s gone from a teenager to a grown up. She’s bigger and stronger.”
Casse said Got Stormy’s Ontario Colleen win on the Woodbine turf, along with past Woodbine Mile successes with Tepin [2016] and World Approval [2017], give him confidence as the filly looks to beat the boys once more.
“When we decided to go to the Woodbine Mile, it was nice that she’s already had a race over the turf there,” said Casse. “She was extremely impressive on the turf at Woodbine and that, along with the success we’ve had going on to the Breeders’ Cup from Woodbine, was on my mind.
“We already know she loves it there. My only fear is if we get a lot of rain. She’s not overly crazy about soft turf.”
~ by Jennifer Morrison with files from NYRA
More from Races:
